It took four years for the Kenton County Sheriff’s Office in Kentucky to reach a settlement with the families of two special needs students, ages 8 and 9, who were handcuffed by a school resource officer (SRO). This month, the office has agreed to pay $337,000.
One of the incidents was recorded in a video that went viral. The SRO could be seen handcuffing the 8-year-old boy while standing on his right. The officer places the handcuffs on the child’s arms above the elbow as the boy cries.
The police officer was heard saying to the boy, “I asked you not to kick. Now you give me the behavior that you know you’re supposed to or you suffer the consequences. It’s your decision to behave this way.”
The boy cries, “Ow that hurts, I’m sorry.”
Third Grader Handcuffed in School
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A school staff member videotaped the altercation.
The lawsuit claims that the child has post-traumatic stress disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder but at the time of the incident was not receiving special education services.
The second child was handcuffed not once but twice. After the first incident the same officer called the ambulance so the 9-year-old girl could be taken to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. She also has ADHD and was receiving accommodations through a 504 plan.
The Sheriff gave his full support to the officer saying he was “not interested in knowing how often his deputies handcuff school children,” and that cuffing children above the elbow is an acceptable practice.
According to an ACLU statement: “There is no evidence that putting police officers in schools makes children any safer. What we do know is that 1.7 million children attend public schools that have cops but no counselors. Three million students attend schools with law enforcement officers, but no nurses. And six million students attend schools with law enforcement officers, but no school psychologists. The brunt of these staffing choices falls most heavily and students with disabilities—especially students of color with disabilities.”
